Multi-size climbing shoe

ABSTRACT

An item of climbing footwear. The item includes a sole and an upper fixed to the top of the sole. The upper is open at the rear without having a stiffener. The item includes at least one tightening strap, fixed to the upper by at least one of its ends and designed to hold, by tightening, a foot fitted between the sole and the upper. The tightening strap is adjustable in length so as to be able to hold different sizes of shod foot.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an item of footwear, in particular of the slipper or pump type, intended more specifically for climbing on mountains, cliffs, rocks or artificial structures.

It aims to allow the same item to be used for a plurality of individuals having different foot sizes.

A preferred application is training for climbing, because the invention allows multiple learners, having different foot sizes, to use the same item of climbing footwear, which avoids having to invest in many items of footwear of different sizes. This practice can take place in various group settings, such as schools, sports clubs, etc.

PRIOR ART

The slipper is a fundamental item of climbing equipment. Indeed, it forms the interface between the climber's foot and the wall to be climbed, and must provide accurate feedback and accurate transmission of forces.

Originally, climbing shoes were in fact mountain boots with a rigid sole, with which one could climb only using holds and therefore required the use of numerous climbing accessories such as pitons, bolts, nails, and the like to provide adequately-sized holds.

Over time, climbing techniques were developed based primarily on the use of friction between the climbing shoe and the wall, and virtually eliminating any recourse to the traditional climbing accessories mentioned above, since the holds can then be much smaller, or even be absent.

New climbing shoes, generally called slippers, were then developed, being both much more flexible and lighter than traditional mountain boots, provided with a smooth sole and coated with elastomer or rubber material up to the upper to improve grip.

In order to support the feet of the users in these shoes, it is usual for the shoes to have laces or self-gripping velcro-type straps for the lateral closure, the foot being also held at the rear by the stiffener of the shoes.

Patent FR2848390 proposes the implementation of an elastic strap which acts on the user's heel, wrapping around it, which makes it possible to better distribute the forces applied to the heel. The inventors of this patent FR2848390 also indicate that a slipper equipped with the elastic strap described can be used by individuals having different foot sizes, owing to the variable tension provided by the strap. However, in practice, the range of sizes is very limited, as described elsewhere in the patent (for example a range from European shoe size 39 to 41), with no guarantee of optimal comfort.

However, the inventor was able to bring to light a new problem which would require having climbing footwear which is multi-size in a wider range.

Indeed, when climbing activities are conducted in group settings, in particular during introductory sessions in schools, the number of pairs of footwear of different sizes to buy and manage, can be very significant for an operator.

At the scale of an elementary school, middle school or high school, this number can even be too large, because the investment required for the time of use can be a financial barrier.

Consequently, an operator will buy a limited number of pairs of items and users must swap them during the activity.

For example, students being introduced to climbing must wait until a student having the same foot size has finished their route and taken off their shoes in order to be able to put on those shoes.

Ultimately, the time spent on climbing per individual can be reduced by the time needed for consecutive removal and donning of shoes.

There is therefore a need to improve climbing footwear, in particular by allowing the same item to be able to be donned by a plurality of foot sizes in a fairly wide range, typically up to seven or eight consecutive sizes.

The aim of the invention is to at least partially meet this need.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To that end, the invention relates to an item of climbing footwear, comprising:

-   -   a sole,     -   an upper fixed to the top of the sole, the upper being open at         the rear without having a stiffener, and     -   at least one tightening strap, fixed to the upper by at least         one of its ends and designed to hold, by tightening, a foot         fitted between the sole and the upper, the tightening strap         being adjustable in length so as to be able to hold different         sizes of shod foot.

In other words, the invention consists in defining an item of climbing footwear which is in a way truncated at the rear, being without a stiffener and preferably being at least partially without a heel, but which is provided with a tightening strap fixed on the upper, the adjustment of which strap makes it able to fit a plurality of consecutive foot sizes.

Thus, the solution according to the invention makes it possible to use the same item of footwear for a large number of users who have different foot sizes.

Preferably, the sole is at least partially devoid of a heel.

Advantageously, the end or ends of the at least one tightening strap is/are fixed to the upper so as to allow the strap to be tightened above the calcaneus at the back of the shod foot.

According to one advantageous embodiment, the item of footwear comprises two tightening straps, one of which is fixed by one of its ends inside a first lateral part of the upper, and the other is fixed by one of its ends to the outside of a second lateral part of the upper, facing the first lateral part, the other of the ends of one and/or the other tightening strap being provided with a means for tightening the two straps together according to an adjustable length.

The tightening means may be a buckle attached to the other end of one of the two tightening straps.

Preferably, the tightening strap(s) is/are fixed to the upper, being oriented a few degrees above the horizontal.

According to an alternative embodiment, the tightening strap(s) is/are sewn directly onto the upper.

Preferably, the width of the tightening strap(s) is between 1 and 5 cm, more preferably between 2 and 4 cm.

The invention also relates to the use of an item of footwear as described above, as an accessory for the activity of climbing in a group setting, such as in a school environment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Other advantages and features of the invention will become clearer on reading the detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, given by way of non-limiting illustration with reference to the following figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of the exterior of an example of a climbing slipper according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a climbing slipper according to FIG. 1.

Throughout the present application, the terms “lower”, “higher”, “above”, “below”, “interior”, “exterior”, “internal”, “external” are to be understood by reference to a climbing slipper according to the invention in a substantially horizontal configuration.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a climbing slipper according to the invention, designated overall by reference number 1, comprises, as is conventional, a sole 2 and an upper 3 fixed to the top of the sole.

A system of tightening straps 4, typically of the self-gripping Velcro® type, is sewn onto the inside the upper 3 of the slipper. As is conventional, these straps 4 adjust to the width of a foot and laterally enclose the forefoot in the slipper, pressing it against the sole 2.

According to the invention, the upper 3 is open at the rear, being devoid of a stiffener. Preferably, the slipper 1 is also at least partially devoid of a heel. In other words, the rear end 20 of the sole 2 is intended to at least partially not support a heel of the foot fitted in the slipper 1.

Also according to the invention, there is provided a system of tightening straps 5, fixed to the upper 3 by at least one of its ends.

This system 5 is adapted to hold a shod foot by clamping between the sole 2 and the upper 3. The tightening strap(s) 50, 51 are adjustable in length so that different sizes of shod foot can be held in the slipper.

In the example shown, the system 5 comprises two tightening straps 50, 51.

One of the ends of the strap 50 is sewn onto the inside of a first lateral part of the upper 3.

The other strap 51 is fixed by one of its ends to the outside of a second lateral part of the upper 3, facing the first lateral part.

The other of the ends of the tightening strap 51 is provided with a buckle 52 for tightening the two straps between them, according to an adjustable length.

Typically, with such a tightening system 5, the same climbing slipper can be used to fit a range of seven to eight consecutive sizes, for example from a size 35 to 41 or from a size 38 to 45.

The implementation of the tightening system according to the invention has no influence on the other characteristics of the parts of the slipper that are sought to achieve the technical objectives on the holds, inherent in climbing, such as the use of the front tip, or the use of the inside edge.

Care will thus be taken to manufacture a sole 2, typically made of rubber, which has a wide toe and which is stiff enough to compensate for the lack of hold of the slipper if there is no heel.

Other variants and advantages of the invention can be achieved without departing from the scope of the invention.

The invention is not limited to the examples which have just been described; characteristics of the examples illustrated can in particular be combined with one another within variants that are not shown. 

1. An item of climbing footwear, comprising: a sole, an upper fixed to the top of the sole, the upper being open at the rear without having a stiffener, and at least one tightening strap, fixed to the upper by at least one of its ends and designed to hold, by tightening, a foot fitted between the sole and the upper, the tightening strap being adjustable in length so as to be able to hold different sizes of shod foot.
 2. The item of climbing footwear as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sole is at least partially devoid of a heel.
 3. The item of climbing footwear as claimed in claim 1, the end or ends of the at least one tightening strap being fixed to the upper so as to allow the strap to be tightened above the calcaneus at the back of the shod foot.
 4. The item of climbing footwear as claimed in claim 1, comprising two tightening straps, one of which is fixed by one of its ends inside a first lateral part of the upper, and the other is fixed by one of its ends to the outside of a second lateral part of the upper, facing the first lateral part, the other of the ends of one and/or the other tightening strap being provided with a means for tightening the two straps together according to an adjustable length.
 5. The item of climbing footwear as claimed in claim 4, wherein the tightening means are a buckle attached to the other end of one of the two tightening straps.
 6. The item of climbing footwear as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tightening strap(s) are fixed to the upper, being oriented a few degrees above the horizontal.
 7. The item of climbing footwear as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tightening strap(s) is (are) sewn directly onto the upper.
 8. The item of climbing footwear as claimed in claim 1, wherein the width of tightening strap(s) is between 1 and 5 cm.
 9. The use of an item of footwear as claimed in claim 1, as an accessory for participating in climbing in a group setting.
 10. The item of climbing footwear as claimed in claim 8, wherein the width of tightening strap(s) is between 2 and 4 cm.
 11. The use as claimed in claim 9, wherein the group setting is in a school environment. 